One of the most respected and beloved members of the "Star Trek" family died over the weekend at the age of 89.
The sad news of her death by natural causes at her home in Silver City, New Mexico was first reported by her son, Kyle Johnson, and later confirmed by her business partner, Gilbert Bell. In the past few years, Nichols has been dealing with a variety of health issues, including a mild stroke in 2015, as well as dementia.
Johnson said that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for him. My mother died of natural causes last night. For us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration from, her light will remain. Her life was well lived and she was a model for everyone.
Uhura on 'Star Trek' rides NASA's flying observatory.
Trekkies and their families woke up to the news Monday morning, and they received a lot of love and respect. William Shatner, Adam Nimoy, George Takei, Levar Burton, Kate Mulgrew, J.J.Abrams, Wilson Cruz, and many more have expressed their sympathies.
Shatner was so sorry to hear about the death of Nichelle. She played an admirable character that did a lot for changing social issues in the US and around the world. She will definitely be missed by me. I am sending my sympathies to her family.
In "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," Gooding offered her own words to the memory of Nichols, who was killed in a plane crash. She said that she made room for a lot of us. She reminded us that our influence is essential to their survival. She built it and not to shake the table.
She began her career in show business as a singer and dancer with a dream of becoming the first African American ballerina. After scoring her first professional job at the age of 14 at Chicago's Sherman Hotel, she went on to perform at Duke Ellington's and Lionel Hampton's international shows before becoming an actress. Her first film role was in a musical called "Porgy and Bess."
"Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry hired her to play a black soldier's fiancée in a never- shown episode of the 1964 TV series "The Lieutenant."
It has been said that Martin Luther King Jr. helped convince her to stay in the " Star Trek" series because he told her she couldn't. We will be seen as intelligent, quality, beautiful people, who can sing, dance, and can go to space, who are professors, lawyers, for the first time on television. The door can be closed if you leave because your role is not a black one, and it is not a female one.
One of the first interracial kisses in scripted television history was shared by Nichols and Shatner in the 1968 episode "Plato's Stepchildren."
After the cancellation of "Star Trek" in 1969 she remained in the public's eye with a number of small roles in movies and TV shows.
She reprised her role as the Communications Officer in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and "Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country" in 1991.
Her association with NASA began in the 1970s when she worked with the space agency to increase the number of women and minorities in its workforce. Sally Ride and Judith Resnick, the first and second American women in space, are just two of the first and second black astronauts. She helped increase the number of female and minority astronauts from 100 to 1,649.
Todd Thompson's award-winning film "Woman in Motion" details the inspiring volunteer work done by Nichols.
"We celebrate the life of 'Star Trek' actor, pioneer, and role model, who symbolized to so many what was possible,'" NASA said. Some of the first women and minority astronauts were recruited by her.
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